Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have emerged as a technology used in general illumination, display, signage and other applications. There have been some attempts to improve luminous efficacy, CRI matching, and lifetimes, although there remains room for yet further improvements. Furthermore, challenges still exist when it comes to providing cost-effective techniques for integrating the active materials into device packages, interconnecting them into modules, managing the accumulation of heat during their operation, spatially directing and homogenizing their light output at desired levels of chromaticity and intensity, etc.
Some current commercial implementations make use of sophisticated, high-speed tools that are based on conceptually old procedures that exploit robotic systems to assemble material mechanically diced from a source wafer, with collections of bulk wires, lenses, and heat sinks in millimeter-scale packages, on a device-by-device basis, followed by separate steps to form arrays of the LEDs on rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs). However, these solutions tend to be proprietary and tailored to specific applications.
Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for improved LED-inclusive devices, and/or methods of making the same. For example, there is a need in the art for improved LED-inclusive devices, and/or methods of making the same, where LED-inclusive subassemblies can be incorporated into a wide variety of different applications where different structural and performance requirements must be met and/or where conventional interconnections might otherwise be difficult.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a window for a vehicle. First and second glass substrates are laminated to one another via a first laminating material. A deformable backbone supports a plurality of LED devices, with the deformable backbone being disposed between the first and second substrates, and with the LED devices being connected to one another via flexible wires. The backbone has a shape selected to match an angle at which the windshield is to be disposed in the vehicle and so that the LED devices, when powered, emit light primarily in a direction parallel to a surface on which the vehicle is located.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, an electronic device. A flexible sheet supports a plurality of a bare die LEDs. The LEDs are connected to one another via flexible wires to form an LED array. The LEDs in the array are individually addressable and powerable via remotely located control circuitry. An optical out-coupling layer stack (OCLS) system is disposed over the LEDs, with the OCLS system comprising an isotropic layer matrix including an organo-metallic chelate hybrid material and a matrix core including dispersed scatterers. The flexible sheet is deformed, with the LED array thereon, such that is shaped to match a desired application.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a method of making a window for a vehicle is provided. A deformable backbone supporting a plurality of LED devices is provided, with the LED devices being connected to one another via flexible wires. The deformable backbone with the LED devices thereon is positioned between first and second glass substrates. The first and second substrates are laminated together with the deformable backbone therebetween. The backbone, when laminated between first and second substrates, has a shape selected to match an angle at which the windshield is to be disposed in the vehicle and so that the LED devices, when powered, emit light primarily in a direction parallel to a surface on which the vehicle is located.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a method of making an electronic device is provided. A flexible sheet supporting a plurality of a bare die LEDs is provided, with the LEDs being connected to one another via flexible wires to form an LED array, and with the LEDs in the array being individually addressable and powerable via remotely located control circuitry. An optical out-coupling layer stack (OCLS) system is disposed over the LEDs, with the OCLS system comprising an isotropic layer matrix including an organo-metallic chelate hybrid material and a matrix core including dispersed scatterers. The flexible sheet is deformed, with the LED array thereon, such that is shaped to match a desired application.
The features, aspects, advantages, and example embodiments described herein may be combined in any suitable combination or sub-combination to realize yet further embodiments.